And I must say he makes some good points

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/12/22/aikman-suggests-getting-rid-of-helmets/

12/22/2009 11:18:10 PM

well, the game used to be played that way. i think the idea of headhunting is too entrenched with players today though that it would never work and we'd have guys routinely with fractured jaws

12/22/2009 11:24:26 PM

Levar Arrington must have knocked some screws loose

12/22/2009 11:24:52 PM

He makes some good points. There would be a lot less idiots flying head first into people like Brian Dawkins if helmets were eliminated.

12/22/2009 11:24:58 PM

I'm kind of starting to think it's a legit argument, a compromise could be to reduce the hard part of the helmet

12/22/2009 11:27:04 PM

bring back these, im sure reebok can engineer some new material and design it to look good

12/22/2009 11:41:14 PM

dog helmet FTW

12/22/2009 11:54:51 PM

I want to get rid of troy aikman calling games.

12/23/2009 1:06:18 AM

It sounds like a reasonable idea till someone dies, and I think someone would die within the first year.

12/23/2009 9:13:10 AM

Probably. And the game would suck for a few years while everyone relearns how to play.

There'd be a few deaths yearly. The real problem would come with high school football where some areas might not adopt the no-hard-helmets rule which would endanger teams from areas that do adopt it, and some hot-headed teen will undoubtably die every year from being stupid about how they play.

12/23/2009 9:22:28 AM

Hes trollin you guys hard

12/23/2009 9:24:23 AM

The freak accidents like the oneDemarcus Ware got a few weeks ago can never be avoided.

But I think they could take a lot of the major head and neck injuries out of the game by eliminating kick returns. Its the only play where guys have a 30 yard head start before ramming into each other. Punt returns are less deadly because only one of the guys is moving when there's a big hit, and its usually a 180 pound speed guy instead of a 250 pound linebacker.

Take the ball at the 30 everytime, or the 20 if the other team converts a 2 point conversion on the previous score, creating more incentive to go for 2.

12/23/2009 9:27:51 AM

there was an article in the Wall Street Journal about this a few weeks ago. personally i don't think it's a good idea.

12/23/2009 10:07:12 AM

You can't do away with the helmet for legal issues I would imagine, but I see his point and his reasoning makes sense.

12/23/2009 11:37:15 AM

The refs could enforce the helmet contact rules more strictly also. When was the last time spearing was called in the NFL? (Or NCAA for that matter?)

12/23/2009 11:40:31 AM

It works for Rugby, it can work for Football.

12/23/2009 11:53:12 AM

I think Jahvid Best incidents make helmets necessary.

12/23/2009 12:11:24 PM

we need to start a new sport, be the founding leaders, and become rich in the process....

our new sport can be without helmets, and use nurfballs instead of footballs ...

IE ... football is what it is today, and wont be moving backwards from a safety perspective ... but troy aikman is free to start his own league if he really thinks it would make for a better sport.

12/23/2009 12:12:53 PM

i've always contended that football is much more hard hitting than rugby whenever the question is posed. its because there is more padding, people tend to hit harder. sort of like bare knuckle boxing vs boxing with gloves..

12/23/2009 12:14:34 PM

the hits are harder but the damage is less and theres less chance of freakin tpe injuries happening

rugby is still more dangerous, take a football hit and then take a half that hit in a game of rugby or yard ball, ill tell you what hurts worse

bone hittin bone is never a good feelin even at less velocity

you start talkin about striking nerves and causing hemorrage instart of just a jarring hit

[Edited on December 23, 2009 at 12:47 PM. Reason : f]

12/23/2009 12:46:40 PM

rugby has more tackling though and less throwing your against someone else, tackling hurts less than hitting. that being said i had my clock cleaned when some guy put a shoulder down into my head playing rugby.

12/23/2009 4:09:13 PM

why would anybody take advice from a QB who could get a concussion from a strong gust. He of all people should want to keep helmets.

12/23/2009 4:11:01 PM